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Project Summary

ProjectThe goal of this project was to standardize the design of pumped storage power stations through the implementation of a lifecycle design concept that will improve work efficiency and design quality. This will speed up the design process to meet the demand for large-scale power station construction in China. The standardized design will also provide a basis for planning, cost control, capital management, and centralized bid invitations.

SolutionA team of 20 designers was charged with developing the standard design schemes. HydroChina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation used Bentley software to create standardized designs for large-scale pumped storage power stations, moving from one-off designs to repeatable schemes for power generation capacities of 4x300 megawatts and 6x300 megawatts. Equipped with a full range of Bentley’s 3D design products, the team was able to address all aspects of the project including the dam, plant, water channel, hydraulic generator, building, and substation.

OutcomeThe collaborative process produced a 3D information model that will be applied to the design, construction, and management of future pumped storage power stations for a total savings of more than USD 1.57 million for each project. Thousands of man days for each project will also be saved through a 90% reduction in design errors and the shortening of project feasibility studies from six months to four months.

SoftwareProducts for specific design disciplines included AECOsim Building Designer, Bentley PlantSpace, GEOPAK, Bentley Substation, Bentley Raceway and Cable Management, and GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite. With ProjectWise as the collaborative design platform and Bentley Navigator employed for clash detection, the design team worked together more efficiently, ultimately finding and fixing 500 design errors. Bentley’s eB Information Manager (now AssetWise ECM) will be adopted for lifecycle management of the 3D digital design, with the intention of improving operation and maintenance of the power station.

Outcome/Facts:

HydroChina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation expects the standardized design to improve station efficiency by more than 80%.

Standardized design shortened the design period for the Qiongzhong pumped storage power station by two months and reduced errors by 90%.

Based on Qiongzhong station’s success, the 3D information model will be applied to at least five other stations.

User Quote:

“Through the application of the Bentley-based standard hydropower station, the clash detect function provided by Bentley software can help us to rapidly find hundreds of clashes, which can greatly improve design efficiency. Meanwhile, there are plenty of methods to generate 2D drawings from 3D models.”